At some point in the midst of life and other projects, Jonathon Johnson (Sacred Warrior, Deny The Fallen, Godman) happened upon some old incomplete songs that were written in the hopes of being part of a Sacred Warrior album. They had a classic progressive metal character that didn’t fit his other projects and so he asked fans if he should finish up the songs. Met in the affirmative, Jon kicked off a creative flourish of writing and recording for what would become Glory of Kings’ debut album, “Roots Of The Past.”
It is hard to tell who exactly is performing because I see Jon as responsible for everything on Bandcamp, corroborated by one interview, yet having Erik Schilling of Sacred Warrior as the vocalist, mentioned in a separate interview. In both it was confirmed Steve Watkins, also of Sacred Warrior, contributed bass to a single track. For simplicity, I am assuming Jon is behind anything other than Erik’s voice.
GoK is a confluence of different ideas and styles in “Roots Of The Past.” Christian metal in the vein of the early masters and conceived of in an early progressive metal style, yet orchestral elements feature prominently. Great talent is present with Erik’s voice and Jon’s guitars, but the drums are the life blood that animates this fledgling project’s first release.
The album starts with large swooping cinematic orchestration as it sets the stage for “Mindwar.” Throughout the album, these symphonic episodes, like strings and choirs, are used as intros, interludes, and intermittently though songs, but feel like an adjacent gimmick to the metal. On its own, the orchestra is quite compelling as a soundtrack where I’d love to hear how orchestration mesh more with the heavier stuff. “Foreshadows” is a great example of how the orchestral and rock guitar elements work together, conjuring up a Middle Eastern desert in the middle of the album that then segues into “Gods and Men” where oriental scales link the two.
The songs have a classic metal character approaching power metal. Although I can tell a Queensryche sound at times, I wouldn’t call it progressive. Most of the songs follow the two verses into a development/solo section before coming back for a final flourish. That isn’t to say that the songs are cookie-cutter as there is a delightful variety in the development sections that show off Jon’s quite capable soloing in “Mindwar” and “The Waiting Game” and even the use of building orchestral elements in “Fairy Tales” and “Gods and Men.” My favorite song on the album is “See You In Paradise” that gives a slice of power metal in the vein of Seventh Avenue with the twin guitar assault and upbeat energy.
But it isn’t without progressive moments. “Mystery” starts out sounding like a wild western town as it slowly builds in intensity with strings interlaced with acoustic-leaning instrumentation. I wasn’t a fan of how the heavy metal elements were slathered in toward the end, but it was made up for in “The Waiting Game” that opened with angelic choirs leading into a classic progressive metal groove that was one of my favorites of the album.
The project has at its heart an artistic expression of Christian living, specifically in the struggles of life. “Mindwar” is a poignant take on struggles with mental health as a Christian, bearing the stigma and praying for help in an unseen battle. “See You In Paradise” takes a Christian perspective in grief, not as those without hope, but as one in faith of being reunited with loved ones in eternal life. Although not novel material, hearing this perspective in metal is refreshing as it permeates the music.
The sore spot for this release has to do with a balancing between the drums and guitars. I actually liked the drum presence and energy and felt that it was pushing the songs along where I felt the guitars lacked presence, particularly lead guitars being absent as a partner to the vocals. If the drums went down and guitars went up would it sound better? This might be a case where it is best to have someone else mix and master to get the best sound.
Due to the last point, the first couple of spins felt underwhelming, however in persistence, Erik’s voice came through my random whistling episodes throughout the day. There is quite a bit of potential here, and I think will be realized once the rest of the band is on board for the next outing. This is a decent debut for a band and completes some incomplete songs for Jon, but on its own won’t stand the test of time unless connected with GoK’s not-yet-established legacy.
Rating: 7.0/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist:
1 – Gathering of Storms
2 – Mindwar
3 – Fairy Tales
4 – The Mystery
5 – See You In Paradise
6 – Foreshadows
7 – Gods and Men
8 – Transcendent
9 – Occam’s Razor
10 – Roots of The Past
11 – The Waiting Game
Glory of Kings is:
Jonathan Johnson – instruments and orchestration
Steve Watkins – bass
Eric Schilling – lead vocals
Release Date: August 28, 2026
Record Label: Roxx Records
Social Media: Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Bandcamp
Videos:
Mindwar (Official Lyric Video)
See You In Paradise (Official Lyric Video)
The Mystery (Official Lyric Video)